The Best Graphics Cards

Follow up: The Best GPUs 2022

Editor'south note: The graphics card market has been hit by several challenges, but supply concatenation and overflowing demand from gamers was only the beginning. In 2021, why is demand for graphics cards so loftier, and why are people willing to pay insane prices? The brusque answer is, of class, cryptocurrency mining. We'll update this guide when you can finally buy these graphics cards and pricing is set by a off-white marketplace and non scalpers. In the meantime, here are some of our latest reviews, information and comparisons for the best graphics cards (yous probably can't buy right now):

Hither'south a quick Ampere vs. RDNA2 epitomize of how we've called information technology so far...

In a no-sense boxing for gamers, between the GeForce RTX 3090 and Radeon RX 6900 XT, the RTX 3090 is the articulate winner every bit it'due south a no-compromise solution offering more than VRAM and ameliorate performance at 4K. If you lot have money for the all-time and want the all-time, the 3090 is at least that, the 6900 XT is a compromise and at $chiliad makes less sense than the 3090 at $1500.

In the battle between the RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT: we went with the Nvidia GPU when making our 30 game benchmark analysis. The GeForce GPU offers a like level of operation at 1440p with marginally improve 4K results, merely the deal billow for AMD is the lack of DLSS-like engineering science, weaker encoding back up, and immature ray tracing.

Picking betwixt the RTX 3070 and RX 6800 is more difficult. The RX 6800 benefits from a significant increment in VRAM, doubling what the 3070 offers to 16 GB, that's prissy and should see the Radeon GPU age far ameliorate. But the lack of DLSS (with FSR coming but still an unknown), Nvidia'south better encoder and ray tracing support, it'south a close phone call, assuming both were readily available effectually the MSRP.

Then we have the Radeon 6700 XT vs. GeForce RTX 3070 battle, and for that ane we went with Nvidia. The 6700 XT but isn't priced competitively enough (at MSRP).

Other reviews yous may desire to cheque:

Ray Tracing & DLSS with the GeForce RTX 3080: RTX ON vs. OFF

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Review

AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT vs. 5700 XT

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Review

AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT Review: 6800 XT vs. RTX 3080: Fight!

When information technology comes to graphics cards, we get in-depth. Every yr we test dozens of GPUs from both AMD and Nvidia to see which ones are worth your money, and which are expressionless on arrival. To ensure our information is always relevant, we proceed to evaluate them every bit new games, drivers, and menu-specific features are launched.

To make the process of ownership a new GPU a piddling easier, we're bringing you TechSpot's All-time Graphics Cards buying guide. This piece is intended to reply one unproblematic question: Given a specific budget, which is the graphics card y'all should buy? Fret no more.

Entry-Level GPU ($100-$200) GeForce GTX 1650 Super
Mainstream GPU ($200-$300) GeForce GTX 1660 Super
High-Terminate 1440p GPU (Over $400) Radeon 5700 XT or GeForce RTX 2070 Super
High-End 4K GPU (Over $600) GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Best Mainstream GPU ($100 - $200)

Radeon RX 580 vs. RX 570 vs. RX 5500 XT vs. GeForce GTX 1650 Super

If you're afterwards ability efficiency, the best value-oriented GPU is the GeForce GTX 1650 Super which comes at effectually $160. If you care less about efficiency and want the most bang for your buck, and then y'all should also consider the skilful old Radeon RX 580 which has a more aplenty 8GB retentiveness buffer. Generally speaking, you tin can snag either for equally petty as $160 depending on your brand of option, which is a great deal. You may also want to fish for RX 590 cards that are well-nigh $200 and offer a little boost over these two otherwise nifty options.

Other options in this price range include the Radeon RX 5500 XT for $200 if you want an 8GB VRAM buffer, or $180 for a beggarly 4GB. The 5500 XT is a gimped GPU in our opinion considering of its PCIe four.0 x8 bandwidth limitation. Not just does that brand the PCIe 4.0 support completely worthless, just it means the card is potentially handycapped when installed in a system that only featured PCIe 3.0 support, which right at present is the vast majority.

Lastly, there's the more than affordable Radeon RX 570. The 8GB version of the RX 570 isn't nifty in terms of value, merely if you lot desire a cheap and still very capable graphics card, the 4GB RX 570 are a steal at just $120. For a fiddling actress cash, this trivial GPU is much faster for gaming than the sub-$100 alternatives you can find around and that we decided to skip entirely for this buying guide.

Best Mid-Range GPU ($200 - $350)

GeForce GTX 1660 Super vs. GeForce RTX 2060 vs. Radeon RX 5600 XT

Gamers looking to spend around $300 have a few options to consider, but overall we like the GeForce GTX 1660 Super a lot if yous want to spend less in this range. For about $230, the GeForce GTX 1660 Super offers amazing value, beats the contest at this price indicate and is an efficient trivial card.

The GTX 1660 Super is on average a tad faster than the Radeon RX 590, chirapsia it overall past a xiii% margin, even though the Radeon has more VRAM. Compared to power hungry Vega 56, the GTX 1660 Super is ~15% slower simply information technology as well costs less. Crucially, information technology's widely available, information technology'south worlds better in terms of power usage, and offers a little actress OC headroom.

Closer to the $300 marking and slightly higher up it, the Radeon RX 5600 XT is a respectable product that has pushed for lower prices and better performance at $300. For that lonely, we commend it. The GPU won't blow your socks off and yet it'southward better value than the Radeon RX 5700 which we liked a lot on that aspect already.

On the opposing side, the GeForce RTX 2060 has a few models selling for around $320 and above. Betwixt those two, the 5600 XT is a lilliputian cheaper, offers about the aforementioned performance and is a petty more efficient. Recently we discouraged y'all from picking Navi-based Radeons due to AMD'due south spotty driver support, just it seems the company has been working hard and those nags are mostly over.

For a pure value play, nosotros tin recommend the Radeon RX 5600 XT that starts at $279. Brand certain it corresponds to the games y'all play the most in our 32 game benchmark where AMD or Nvidia are favored by certain titles. So for slightly more coin, nosotros notwithstanding like the GeForce RTX 2060 better as an overall bundle and some potential for ray tracing and DLSS support which has meant trivial so far, only there's potential for more in the coming year.

Best High-End 1440p GPU ($400 and in a higher place)

Radeon 5700 XT vs. Radeon 5700 vs. RTX 2070 Super vs. RTX 2060

Potential driver issues aside, the mid-range marketplace is locked down by AMD with the Radeon RX 5700 and 5700 XT in terms of blindside for your cadet. Subsequently a series of massive game benchmarks featuring the 5700, 5700 XT, RTX 2060 Super and RTX 2070 Super, we have a expert idea of how these GPUs compare. In a nutshell, the Radeon 5700 XT is $100 cheaper than the RTX 2070 Super and when compared beyond a massive range of games it's just vi% slower on average at 1440p.

Why would you get GeForce instead? The RTX 2070 Super is faster for 4K gaming and nosotros've also witnessed a promising renaissance of DLSS. Not unlike the previous price segment, the Radeon is the better value proffer, fifty-fifty at 4K the 5700 XT offers more value: information technology'southward 9% slower but costs 20% less.

The Radeon 5700 XT also eliminates the RTX 2060 Super from contention, offering more performance at the same price, while the vanilla 5700 offers 2060 Super performance for a ~$l discount.

An additional discussion well-nigh the RTX 2070: careful virtually selecting your brand and model. Not-Super RTX 2070s are however effectually, only the RTX 2070 Super variant is the obvious choice. It'south faster than the standard 2070 by ~12 percent for the same price.

An boosted discussion about Radeon 5700 cards: XT models with custom cooling volition set yous back an extra $10 to $40 and provide lower temperatures and overall quieter performance.

Best High-End 4K Gaming GPU (Over $600)

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti vs. GeForce RTX 2080 Super vs. Your Wallet

Nvidia has a stranglehold over the loftier-end GPU market. If you're looking to spend more than $700 for something 4K-set, your options are all going to come from the Green Team. Pick your toxicant between the RTX 2080 Super and the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. But exist aware, you're beyond the bespeak of diminishing returns here.

On average the GeForce RTX 2080 Super is simply ~15% faster than the 5700 XT at 1440p, notwithstanding it's priced 75% higher. At 4K resolution the 2080 Super does amend, offering 26% more frames than the $400+ Radeon RX 5700 XT.

If price is no object and yous just want the best consumer-oriented GPU on the market place, the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti remains the articulate winner.

The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti offers around 20% more than performance than the RTX 2080 Super. It'southward likewise 47% faster than the RX 5700 XT at 4K, but of course, that comes at a hefty premium. A year and a half later launch, 2080 Ti cards are notwithstanding priced above the MSRP cheers to the lack of contest. If you are afterward a fancy model like the Gigabyte Aorus Xtreme, MSI Gaming X Trio or Asus ROG Strix, to cite some examples, expect to pay somewhere in the ballpark of $one,200.

The RTX 2080 Ti does enable college quality 4K gaming experience than the rest of the pack sitting below information technology, so if price is no object and you simply desire the best consumer-oriented GPU on the market, the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti remains the clear winner.